.By Kazeem Akande
Human Rights Activists, under the platform of Human Rights Action Watch, have urged governments and security agents to rise in defence of innocent citizens being oppressed by land grabbers across Lagos State.
The activists said that the threats to life and public peace by land grabbers in Ibeju-Lekki, Epe division of Lagos had become unbearable.
Speaking at a news conference on Tuesday in Lagos, the President of the group, Mr Tunji Balogun, alleged that a notorious land grabber, aka Ibile (real name withheld), had continued to wreak havoc in the area brazenly.
Balogun, said that not only the property owners had suffered and were still counting losses, artisans and workers working in some sites also had so many pathetic stories to tell of the havoc of this land grabber and his violent gangs.
According to him, the land grabber has continued to act unlawfully above the law of the land under protection by some security agencies at the detriment of the voiceless people.
He called on Federal and state governments, and the security agencies to conduct full criminal investigation on the land grabber and all state actors conniving with them.
Balogun said that the notorious activities of these people on Sunday led to the burning down of property belonging to one Esther Otsabomhe, while her workers were also whisked away.
He said that recently, a middle aged bricklayer, Sodiq Kolapo was shot and killed by the land grabbers, and that the wife of the deceased artisan was still in sorrow with three children.
The human rights leader said that if not managed swiftly, the atrocities of land grabbers could snowball into act similar to terrorism in the nearest future.
Also speaking, Mrs Joke Kolapo, the widow of the slain bricklayer, said things had been difficult for her and her children since her husband was killed.
Kolapo said her husband was allegedly attacked by land grabbers at a construction site in the community, adding that the assailants also took his body away.
She said her husband was just working as a bricklayer, a labourer for that matter at the site, not even a native of the land.
The widow said she was expecting her husband to come home on that particular day and she waited till midnight, but didn’t see him.
Kolapo said that she tried his line several times, but it was not reachable.
According to her, she later went to his friend who introduced him to the job and asked for his whereabouts.
She said that his friend told her that they were attacked by the land grabbers and her husband had been shot dead and his body taken away.
Kolapo said that she was shocked hearing that from him and she cried like a baby.
“Up till now, I have not seen my husband’s body or his burial ground. I am a nursing mother with three children.
“I want the government to intervene and come to my aid and the community.”
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the community had recently sent a Save our Soul message to Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the Inspector General of Police to urgently intervene.
(NAN)
